FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE– In a victory for transparency advocates, the California Supreme Court held in a decision this week that public agencies cannot charge requesters for the redaction of electronic public records like police body camera footage. SPJ NorCal submitted a brief in the case, arguing that such fees discriminate against freelancers and individuals without…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Join SPJ NorCal for a virtual workshop on journalist shield law protections with a panel of legal experts and Ryan Mac, the San Francisco-based BuzzFeed reporter who faced subpoenas in a federal defamation suit involving Elon Musk. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KhGA6ecaS7Ooa0jdjsD6GA Ryan Mac’s case followed another challenge to shield law protections…

One year ago this week, San Francisco police conducted a raid on journalist Bryan Carmody, a widely condemned attack on press freedom and a plain violation of California’s shield law protections. State and federal law protects journalists from having to disclose their sources or any unpublished information collected during newsgathering to the government — and…

The Society of Professional Journalists represents close to 6,000 journalists around the country. We are sending this open letter to you asking that you please let us do our jobs in covering the protests surrounding George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. Protesters, we hear you. We understand the pain you are feeling and the anger you…

For Immediate release SAN FRANCISCO — The Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (“SPJ NorCal”), the First Amendment Coalition, the Pacific Media Workers Guild, the California News Publishers Association, San Franciscans for Sunshine and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press urge San Francisco Mayor London Breed to rescind the recent…